Valve for proportioned co-dispensing of two fluids



Alig. 19, 1 96 9 Y J H Q ET AL v VALV E' FOR PROPORTIONED CO-DISPENSING OF TWO FLUID 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 24, 1 967 25 l JEROME A. GROSS,

i JAME5 K. I-IULING and so 1' RICHARD 6. us

FIG. 7 5

3,462,047 VALVE FOR PROPORTIONED CO-DISPENSING OF TWO FLUlDSi James K. Huling, Belleville, Ill., and Jerome A. Gross, Clayton, and Richard C. Hug, St. Louis, Mo., assignors to Clayton Corporation, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 24, 1967, Ser. No. 677,589 Int. Cl. B65d 83/06; F16k 31/00 US. Cl. ZZZ-402.23 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Description of the prior art A valve apparatus for co-dispensing two fluids, so simple and inexpensive as to permit its use on cans of shaving lather and other consumer products, is shown in US. patent to Hayes No. 3,326,416. This apparatus employs a rigid tubular stem valve sealedly mounted in a resilient tubular seal. The valve head closes against an annular seating surface at the bottom of'lthe seal; the head has a circle of perforated ports; and a collapsible bag is sealed to the periphery of the head. Of the two fluids, the first, such as shaving lather, is filled within the container, leaving a head space for gas pressure; the second fluid, which may include peroxide, is filled within the bag attached to the valve head. The circle of ports through the valve head must be of regulated size, t'o'control the rate of flow therethrough proportionate to the rate of flow 'of the first fluid when the valve is open. Only by maintaining a proportionate rate of flow' of the two fluids can the apparatus work in its intended manner.

In the construction shown in the patent referred to, the rigid valve tilts about a pivot point along the axis of the valve stem at or slightly above the level at which it passes through the container top wall.

Tilting about this elevated axial pivot point'causes the head to move laterally, with this undesirable result: it draws the circle of perforated ports out of concentricity with the annular seat of the seal. This'upsets the propor tionality of the rates of discharge of the two fluids, especially when the valve is opened only partially. Since pressure within the container tends to hold the valve head upward against the seat as it moves laterally, some of the perforated ports may be opened'to the bore of the seal before the head is displaced sufficiently to dispense the first fluid. This would result in discharging the second fluid only, or with a disproportionately small amount of the first fluid.

A ditferent sort of apparatus for co-dispensing two fluids is shown in the US. patent to Nissen, No. 3,241,- 722. This apparatus ismuch more complex; it requires two valves, mechanically coupled to open simultaneously 3,462,047 Patented Aug. 19, 1969 from their seats. In addition to its expense, the manufacturing tolerances of such coupled double valve-and-seat mechanism may spoil the proportionality of discharge, especially at slow rates of flow.

Summary of the invention The present invention recognizes that valves which control flow rates, do so by varying their restriction to fiow. In valves of the type in which, on opening, flow proceeds radially inward between an annular closing surface and an annular seat to a central bore, the annular width over which the flow proceeds serves as a flow-restricting function. In opening the valve to control the rate of flow, whether by a linear open movement or by an angular movement, the extent of opening movement serves as the variable, controllable restriction to the rate of flow.

The same principles apply if the valve head has perforated ports closing against an annular valve seat. The radial distance of the ports from the inner edge of the annular seat provides the constant flow-restricting function; while the extent of opening movement, linear or angular, provides a controllable flow-restricting function.

To achieve proportioned dispensing at variable flow rates, the present invention utilizes the principle that these two constant flow-restricting functions will always be proportionate, as the valve head moves to open position, if registration is maintained between the seating surface of the seal and the closure surface of the valve head. As used throughout this application the term registration means not merely registration on linear displacement but also an angular movement, such as results from pivoting the valve head against a circular line at its edge.

Another principle, used here for the first time, is to meter the flow rate of the first fluid in slots along the side of the valve head, as the flow of the second fluid is metered proportionately by the orifice size of the perforated ports through the head.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated in this specification, an integral skirt-like rimat the outer edge of the flexible sealing seat establishes a circular line for pivot opening of the valve head, as a whole. Pivoting along this line maintains the angular registration of the valve head with its sealing; hence the proportionality of the fixed and variable flow-restricting functions is maintained, just as on downward opening movement within the rim. If the valve head pivots tiltingly along a point in the circular line, the stem of the valve must move radially outward. For this purpose an annular space around the stem is provided within the elastic seal at the level at which the seal is mounted in the metal container top. Radially outward movement of the stem above this level is accommodated by the' bending of the elastic seal as a lateral force is applied, outwardly of the container top, to open the valve.

Flow of the two fluids leading to the point where these restricting functions are effective is also controlled proportionately. The supply of the first fluid to the periphcry of the seating surface is metered through vertical metering slots which lead upward beneath the skirt-like rim of the flexible seal. Flow of the second fluid is metered by the orifice size of the ports through the head. The slots and ports are suitably proportionated to meter the supply of the two fluids to the seating surface, at which the previously mentioned restricting functions are etfec tive to meter the flow outward to the bore of the seal.

Brief description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a vertical section of a dispensing container having a valve for proportioned co-dispensing of two fluids, embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged horizontal section taken along line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a similarly enlarged section taken along line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the valve of FIG. 1 shown slightly tilted and partially unseated, for slow dispensing.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 5, showing a greater degree tilt and unseating, for dispensing at a more rapid rate.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the position of the parts as gas is inserted through the valve.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 3 of a modified embodiment of the present invention, utilizing a channelled valve head surface.

FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional view, taken along the line 99 of FIG. 8.

Description of the preferred embodiments A typical single-use pressure container is the can designated (1, shown in FIGS. 1 and 7. Within its rimmed mouth 11, sealed by crimping, is a conventional mountingcup type contained top c having a flanged central circular aperture d which defines a vertical axis e.

Mounted sealedly within the aperture :1 is a resilient elastic tubular seal generally designated 10-, preferably formed by molding natural or synthetic rubber. The seal 10 has a tubular wall portion 11 which extends outwardly therethrough and therefrom. Immediately above the flange of the aperture d, an integral shoulder portion 12 extends radially outward from the tubular wall portion 11, serving as a mounting means which permits compression. This is utilized to permit the valve to be displaced downward along the axis to an open position for gassing, as hereafter described.

Beneath a horizontal top surface 1 of the mounting cup c, the seal 10 has a radially enlarged seal portion 14 including a flange-like upper surface 15 presented sealedly against the horizontal top wall portion f of the mounting cup 0. Formed about the lower end of a bore 16, which leads upward from the enlarged seal portion 14 and serves as the inner wall of the tubular wall portion 11, is an annular sealing seat 17. The circular inner edge of the seat 17 is its intersection with the bore 16; the outer edge of the seat 17, which is spaced radially therefrom, is a circular line which marks the juncture of the seat 17 with a flexible skirt-like integral rim 18 having an inner cylindrical sealing surface 19. The downward projection of the integral rim 18 from the annular sealing seat 17 is greater than the distance at which the valve head, to be described hereafter, will open from the seat 17.

The rim 18 serves, as will be shown, as a means to maintain proportionality in the rates of discharge of two fluids. It serves in part to establish two constant flowrestricting functions, and serves specifically to maintain the valve head, to be described, in registration with the annular seat 17 as the head opens therefrom, Whether downward along the axis e or by angular tilting at the circular line of intersection of the outer edge of the seat 17 with the rim 18. Regardless what force be applied, the rim 18 serves as means to restrain the movement of such valve head, to be described, in any direction perpendicular to the axis 2. For the purpose of such move- ".ent, the entire rim 18 may be considered an abutment means presented sideward against the head of such valve, which maintains it in registration with the seat 17. The

flexibility of the integral rim 18 is utilized also in its outward deflection for gassing, and for its continued sealing against the head of such valve, regardless of tilt. These functions, illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, will be described in greater detail hereafter.

A molded plastic valve generally designated 20 is shown in FIG. 1 partly in elevation and partly in section. It has a stern portion 21 which may be cylindrical, and has means, hereafter described, which mount it normally in alignment with the axis e. The stem portion 21 projects outwardly through the container top aperture d. Its diameter is spacedly less than the inner diameter of the bore 16 of the tubular wall 11, thereby providing an annular flow space around the stem 21. This space also permits continued registration with the seat 17 when the valve is tilted as in FIG. 6.

At the lower end of the stem portion 21, beneath the horizontal surface 1 of the container top 0, the valve 20 has a head 22 which is radially enlarged to a peripheral edge 23, best shown in FIG. 3. The peripheral edge 23 is in flow communication with the principal fluid (hereafter referred to as the first fluid) within the container a.

Inward of the peripheral edge 23, that portion of the head 22 which is in registration with and closes against the annular sealing seat 17, shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, is referred to as its annular closing surface 24. This portion 24 terminates at a line, marked in FIG. 3 as a dashed line circle g, which may be considered as an inner seating surface edge opposed to the junction of the bore 16 with the seat 17. In closed position, the closing surface 24 is in perfect registration with the annular seat 17, and the rim 18 serves to keep it in such registration when opened either by angular or pivoting movement.

One of the concepts of the present invention is that in such a valve the annular width, over which fluid flow must proceed to the bore 16, may serve as a constant flow-restricting function. By providing such a constant, the rate of flow is more accurately controlled by the users manipulating the degree of opening the valve. In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the peripheral edge 23 is indented by metering slots 25 which extend vertically downward along the side of the head 22, to a depth greater than the depth of the flexible rim 18. The distance it of said metering slots 25 from the bore 16 is the annular width which serves as such constant restricting function, insofar as flow of the first fluid is concerned. This is especially significant when the valve is opened only slightly, as in FIG. 5. The flow capacity of the metering slots 25, closed over by the inner surface 19 of the flexible rim 18, will regulate its flo-w when the valve is more fully opened, as in FIG. 6.

The provisions for the second fluid are as follows: Below the level at which the peripheral edge 23 of the valve head 22 is slotted, projects an annular bag-retaining wall 26, its lower edge 27 being tapered. Radially inwardly of the bag-retaining wall 26, the valve head 22 is perforated by a plurality of flow-metering orifices 28. As shown in FIG. 3, these are ports, spaced at equal angular intervals in a circle, which extend through the head 22 from its under side to its annular closing surface 24. They conduct the flow of a second fluid from the under side of the head 22 to the closing surface 24, and then to the seal bore 16 when the valve is opened. Their diameter is selected so as to permit a rate of flow proportionate to the rate of flow permitted for the first fluid by the metering slots 25.

Mounted on the bag-retaining wall 26 by its upper edge 1 is a collapsible bag, generally designated 30, formed of a plastic material which is flexible, impervious to gas pressure, compatible with the two fluids and heat-scalable to the valve head 22. By pressing its upper edge 31 over the lower tapered edge 27, the bag 30 is mounted upon the bag-retaining wall 26 and then heat sealed to it. Under one suitable manufacturing procedure, the upper edge 31 is heat sealed to the head 22 before the bag bottom seam 32 is formed, then the assembly :is inverted, the bag 30 filled with the second fluid through the still open bottom end, and finally the seam 32 is closed by'heat sealing. When the assembly is then mounted onto the container a, the fluid in the bag 30 will be maintained separately from the first fluid which surrounds it within the container a.

The valve 20 is so mounted within the tubular seal 10 as to permit its head 22 to be opened gradually, either by displacing downward along the axis e or by a tilting movement without loss of registration with the valve seat 17. For mounting, the upper end 35 of the valve stem 21 has its sides somewhat flattened, as shown in FIG. 2, and an arrowhead tip 36 is formed there, having two resilient barb-like projections 37 which may ,flex inward toward the flattened sides. The barb-like projections 37 engage the upper surface of an annular flange- 38 which extends inward within the upper bore 39 of a molded tubular dispensing tip generally designated 40, whose larger lower bore 41, beneath the flange 38, fits snugly and sealedly over the upper end of the tubular wall portion 11. An enlarged counterbore 42 at the lower end of the dispensing tip 40 engages downwardly against the seal shoulder portion 12. Enough clearance is provided between the lower edge 43 of the dispensing tip 40 and the horizontal surface 1 of "the mounting cup to permit downward valve movement for gassing, as illustrated in FIG. 7.

Gas for pressurized dispensing may be inserted into the containing a-by pressing downwardly on the dispensing tip 40. A vconventional gassing head, not shown, is placed sealedly over the assembly; itapplies such downward force to the top edge 44 of the tip 40. The resilient tubular wall portion 11 above the aperture d will be compressed as shown in FIG. 7, permitting the valve head 22 to open axially downward. Also, pressure of inflowi ng gas drives the head 22 downward, and gas flows across the valve closing surface 24 to its peripheral edge 23. .Under the high pr essures customarily employed ingassing, .the rim 18 will flex radially outward, disengaging from the peripheral edge 23 of the head 22; hence-the pressurizing gas will flow into the container at at a more rapid rate than the metering slots 25 alone would permit. On removal of the gassing head, both the gas pressure within the container and the elastic resiliency of the tubular wall portion 11 willreturn the valve 20 to erect, closed position.

The actuator 40 has a sloping external shoulder 45 at the level of the annular flange 38, that is, outward of the juncture of the upper bore 39 with the lower bore 41. If desired, a conventional gripping member (not shown) might be mounted on it, to permit dispensing by opening the valve head 22 axially downward in the same manner as is shown in FIG. 7. In such event, as the pressure within the container a holds the flexible rim 18 inwardly in sealed engagement againstthe peripheral edge 23 (save where interrupted by the metering slots 25) .the' rim 18 serves, when so opened by axial displacement, as means to restrain any lateral movement of the valve head 22 perpendicular to the axis e. I

Tilt actuation, shown in FIGS. and 6, is preferred, however. When a lateral force is applied to the dispensing tip 40, as shown by the large arrow in FIG. 5,. the arrowhead tip 36-of the valve 20 moveslaterally, but the rim 18 of the seal restrains the valve head 22 from any lateral movement. The relatively .rigid plastic dispensing tip 40 will thus tilt, and cause thetubular wall portion 11 of the seal 10 to bend outwardly of its mounting. Within them the stem 21 will tilt; and the flexible rim 18 will serve as an abutment means at which the valve 20 will pivot as a whole. On such tilting, the stem21 will move laterally outward from the axis e, within the space provided within the tubular wall portion 11 at the level of the container top aperture d; above this level, bending of the tubular wall portion llaccommodates such lateral movement.

At the valve seat 17, due to the elastic flexibility of the material of the seal 10, the annular closing surface 24 does not open at once about its entire periphery. As shown in FIG. 5, on tilting the seal 17 is distorted on one side by the pressure of the head 22, which there tends to maintain sealing engagement. At first, only the port or ports 28 farthest from the point of pivoting will open. On further tilting movement, as shown in FIG. 6, more of the circle of ports 28 are opened.

Prior to actuating the valve, the container a is inverted so that the firstf fluid within the container a surrounds the seal 10 and enters the slots 25. The pressurizing gas fills the remainder of the inverted container a, around the collapsible bag 30, pressing it as well as the first fluid. With only slight tilting of the valve member 20, as in FIG. 5, only those slots 25 most remote from the point of pivoting will be opened, for discharge of the first fluid; likewise only the port 28 farthest therefrom will be opened therefrom to discharge the second fluid from the bag 30. On increased tilting, as in FIG. 6, more of the slots 25 will be opened; and likewise the number of ports 28 opened will be proportionately increased. As the two fluids pass from the sealing surface 17 to the bore 16 and are discharged outwardly, the rate of discharge of each will remain substantially proportionate to the other, regardless how fully the valve is opened.

To contrast such pivot opening with FIG. 2 of the Hayes US. Patent No. 3,326,416 wherein the valve head slides laterally'across the valve seat, the type of opening movement here illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 is referred to as one in which angular registration is maintained between the valve head closing surface 24 and the annular seat 17 of the seal 10. The radially inward flow distance 11 of the first fluid is not varied by the extent of opening,

nor is the radially inward flow distance of the second fluid from the ports 28. These distances are constant restricting functions. By maintaining proportionality of these constants, the variables which will affect flow rate of the first and second fluids result from the geometry of the valve structure; the degree of opening the valve will affect the closing surface 24, which is open to the bore 16. By

forming the metering slots 25 angularly close to the ports 28, the extent of the are which is so opened permits flow through a number of its ports 28 which increases proportionately with the increase in the number of metering slots 25 which conduct flow. As seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, the physical restrictions to flow of the two fluids to the extent dependent upon opening of the valve closing surface 24 fromthe seat 17, are varied, by this tilt opening movement, proportionately for the two fluids.

If, instead of tilt opening, the valve be opened by axially downward movement, the same principles of proportionality will apply. If the valve is opened so greatly that the flow restriction between the closing surface 24 v and the seat 17 ceases to be an important variable, the same proportionality of discharge of the fluids is maintained, at high flow rates, by the relative flow capacities of the ports 28 and the metering slots 25.

The alternate embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 varies from the principal embodiment heretofore described only in the following respect: that on the annular closing surface 24' of the head 22, flow grooves 51 extend radially inward from the upper ends of the metering slots 25 at the peripheral edge 23. If, as shown, the flow grooves 51 extend to the circle of and adjacent to each of the ports 28, on opening the valve, they will serve as means to maintain the annular flow distances for the first and second fluids not merely proportionate but identical. Since these flow grooves 51 are the only modification of this alternate embodiment from the first described embodiment, the

drawings FIGS. 8 and 9 are fragmentary only, it being understood that the parts not illustrated are the same as those illustrated in FIGS. l-7, inclusive. Those parts shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 are numbered similarly to those heretofore described with the added symbol prime and their descriptions are not repeated herein.

If the flow grooves 51 extend inward to the circle of the ports 28, this would minimize the adverse effect on proportionate dispensing, of any lateral movement of the valve head 22. Hence this embodiment is preferred whereever the integral rim 18 may be made exceptionally flexible or have to be dispensed with entirely; or where the rubber-like material may deteriorate due to chemical incompatibility with the container contents.

Variations in construction, for purposes of adapting the present disclosure to modified uses, will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, this invention is not to be construed narrowly but rather as co-extensive with the claims hereof.

We claim:

1. Valve apparatus for the proportioned co-dispensing a first fluid within a container and a second fluid maintained separate therefrom within the container, comprising an assembly of the type including a container top, a

rigid valve with a collapsible bag attached thereto, and a resilient elastic tubular seal,

the container top having an aperture along an axis,

the seal being mounted sealedly within the container top aperture and having a tubular wall portion extending outwardly therethrough and therefrom, and having a radially enlarged seal portion beneath the container top including an annular seat bounded by an inner edge and an outer edge spaced radially therefrom,

further having a bore leading upwardly inside the annular seat whereby to provide an annular flow space,

the valve being mounted within the tubular seal normally aligned with the axis of the container top aperture and having a stem portion projecting outwardly through the aperture and having a head inwardly of the container top, the head including a peripheral edge in flow communication with the first fluid and an annular closing surface radially inwardly thereof, said closing surface being normally in registration with the annular seat of the seal,

port means, extending through the head and penetrating said closing surface, to conduct flow of the second fluid,

said port means being spaced along said closing surface a constant radial distance outward from its inner edge,

the bag having a top edge sealedly attached to the head outwardly of said port means, whereby to contain the second fluid separate from the first fluid, the assembly including a dispensing tip and means to conduct flow from the bore of the seal to said tip,

together with means, operable when the valve head is moved at least in part away from the annular seat of the seal, to maintain substantial proportionality between flow, to the bore, of the first fluid across the annular seat and flow thereto of the second fluid through the port means.

2. Valve apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said means to maintain proportionality includes a flow groove in the closing surface of the head extending radially inward from its peripheral edge to a point adjacent to said port means.

3. Valve apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said means to maintain proportionality includes means to maintain the valve head closing surface in registration with the annular seat of the seal as it opens from said annular seat.

4. Valve apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said means to maintain proportionality comprises a flexible integral rim portion projecting downward from the seat a distance greater than the greatest opening distance of the valve head, and

the valve head has, at its peripheral edge within the integral rim portion of the seal, metering slot means within said flexible rim portion to effect such flow communication to the closing surface, and

the port means in the valve head are flow-metering orifices,

whereby the metering effect in flow of the second fluid may be proportioned to the metering effect of the said slot means in the flow of the first fluid.

5. Valve apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein the mounting of the valve within the tubular seal includes means to permit the valve to be displaced downward along the axis to an open position, and

said means to maintain in registration includes means to restrain lateral movement of the head in any direction perpendicular to the axis when the valve is so displaced axially to such open position.

6. Valve apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein the means to maintain in registration lies along the radially outer edge of the annular seat of the seal.

7. Valve apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said means to maintain in registration includes an abutment means presented sideward against the valve head, and

the inner diameter of the tubular wall of the seal at the level of the container top aperture is spacedly greater than the thickness of the valve stem,

whereby, on application to the dispensing tip of a lateral force to bend the tubular wall of the seal outwardly of its mounting in the container top aperture, the valve will pivot at the abutment means and its stem will move radially outward in said greater space at the level of the container top aperture,

thereby opening the valve head closing surface in angular registration with the seat.

8. Valve apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein said abutment means comprises an integral rim portion extending downward around the annular seat of the seal and against the peripheral edge of the head, and

the means extending through the annular closing surface to conduct flow through the valve head comprises a circle of ports spaced at equal angular intervals.

Q. Valve apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said integral rim portion is flexible and projects downward from the seat a distance greater than the greatest opening distance of the valve head, and

the valve head has, at its peripheral edge within the integral rim portion of the seal, metering slot means within said flexible rim portion to effect such flow communication to the closing surface, and

the port means in the valve head are flow-metering orifices,

whereby the metering effect in flow of the second fluid may be proportioned to the metering effect of this said slot means in the flow of the first fluid.

10. A solid stem valve for metered discharge of a fluid from a pressurized container, comprising a container top having an aperture along an axis,

a seal mounted sealedly within the container top aperture and having a tubular wall extending outwardly therethrough and therefrom, and having a radially enlarged seal portion beneath the container top including an annular seat, and

a flexible integral rim portion projecting downward from the seat, in combination with a valve mounted within the tubular seal and normally aligned with the axis of the container top aperture and having a stem projecting outwardly through the aperture and having a head inwardly of the container top and including a closing surface normally in registration with and presented References Cited against the annular seat of the seal, the head having a peripheral edge within and en- UNITED STATES PATENTS gaging the inner face of the integral rim por- 2,004,013 9 5 trauss 251-349 X tion f the seal, and 2,514,030 7/1950 Coyle et a1. 222-40225 X metering slots extending vertically upward across 5 I 7 5/1959 Wolcott 222-183 the peripheral edge of the head beneath the 3,079,043 19163 W f On 61 al- 222402.23 X

flexible rim portion of the seal, 3,241,722 3/1966 Nissen 222-136 whereby flow of the fluid past the valve when 3,326,416 6/1967 Hayes 222-4 moved at least in part from the seat is metered 10 by the slots. ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner 

